In many hydrocarbon wells, well fluid passes through a sand screen which filters out particulates from the inflowing fluid, e.g. oil or gas. Generally, the sand screen comprises a perforated base layer or base pipe surrounded by a mesh material or other filter media disposed along the length of the base pipe. The filter media filters out sand, e.g. particulates and other solid materials, from the inflowing hydrocarbon fluid. After the hydrocarbon fluid passes through the filter media, the fluid enters the base pipe through the perforations disposed along the length of the base pipe. However, many conventional sand screen systems tend to be expensive to manufacture.